Ashton-Kirk, Secret Agent

by John Thomas McIntyre

  CHAPTER XX

  FRESH DEVELOPMENTS

  On the following morning Ashton-Kirk entered his study; a few momentslater Stumph followed him, bearing a cup of coffee. And while hisemployer sipped this, Stumph gravely remonstrated.

  "You should not work. You have had too little sleep."

  "Has Purvis come in?" asked the other, heedlessly.

  "Yes, he is waiting." Then, not to be deterred, the man added, glancingat the patch of white plaster which covered the wound on his employer'shead: "You will be ill--you should rest."

  "There is work which must be done," smiled Ashton-Kirk. "You don'talways lay up yourself, Stumph, when you are out of sorts."

  "No, sir," replied the man, gravely, "but this----"

  "Ask Purvis to come in."

  A few moments later a young man with a prominent nose and a long chincame into the room.

  "Good morning," said he. "I understand from Fuller that you wanted melast night."

  "It did not matter, as things turned out."

  "My orders," said Purvis, "were to follow any of the household. WhenDrevenoff left the place I got after him according to instructions.But," with a disgusted air, "would you believe it?--I lost him."

  If Ashton-Kirk was annoyed at this, he did not show it.

  "How was that?" he inquired.

  "He boarded the train at Eastbury," explained Purvis, "and I did thesame. For the life of me I don't know how he did it, for I thought I hadmy eye on him all along; but when the train reached the city, he was noton it. Perhaps he noticed me and took a desperate chance while the trainwas moving."

  "O'Neill is at the Fordham Road house," said Ashton-Kirk. "I want you torelieve him at noon."

  "Very good," said Purvis. "Any instructions?"

  "Nothing more than that you are to keep track of anything that mayhappen. O'Neill is to relieve you again at midnight."

  When Purvis had taken his leave, Ashton-Kirk rang for Fuller. That youngman entered; in spite of his loss of sleep he looked as brisk as ever.

  "What about the motor cab?" asked the secret agent.

  "I looked up the various stations. The nearest to Okiu's house is onCollingwood Avenue. I called them on the telephone, but could get nosatisfaction. Then I paid them a visit, with better results. Okiu calleda cab about midnight. Its driver's name is Freeman, and he lives onNineteenth Street. Having gone off duty I thought he would probably beat his boarding-house; so I went there and was lucky enough to find himat home.

  "Yes, he recalled the trip to Eastbury, and remembered perfectly that hehad run his fare all the way to the city and to the railroad station.Then I went to the station. Again I was fortunate. A Jap answeringOkiu's description had been sold two tickets at just about the time thetaxi driver said he had reached the station."

  "You inquired to what points the tickets were bought?"

  "Yes," and here Fuller's face expressed great satisfaction. "They werefor Washington."

  The secret agent arose to his feet, his singular eyes shining withexcitement, his nostrils dilating like those of a thoroughbred facingthe barrier. After a few turns up and down the room, he said:

  "This looks like the last stage of the chase. We must win now, ornever."

  "Washington," said Fuller, "is headquarters for such things as thatsecret document. The embassies just yawn for them."

  There was a short pause; Ashton-Kirk halted at a window, and looked downat the eager, grubbing horde in the street.

  "What have you heard from Burgess?" he asked.

  "He sent in a long written report this morning. It would seem that theflurry on Fordham Road was not the only one last night--or rather thismorning."

  Fuller handed the other a number of folded sheets. They ran:

  "I am sending this by messenger. Can't leave the job myself. About an hour ago Karkowsky got a call on the telephone. A man came to his room door and began hammering to wake him up. The 'phone is on the first floor; Karkowsky hurried down to answer; and I followed him.

  "He went into the booth; I couldn't hear what was said, but I could see him through the glass door; and if ever a man listened to anything with attention, he was that man. As I watched him I could see that he grew more and more excited; then he hung up, and rushed out of the booth. The first thing he did was to snatch down a time-table from a rack; skimming it over he threw it aside and then was off up-stairs. I managed to get possession of the time-table; it was a schedule of Washington trains.

  "Just now it looks as though my man were going to jump out for Washington. If he does I'll call you.

  "BURGESS."

  "So," said Ashton-Kirk, as he laid the report upon the table, "ourfriend Karkowsky also shows an interest in Washington. Has Burgesscalled as yet?"

  "Yes, I had a short talk with him a while ago. He was then at thestation waiting for the train which Karkowsky was to take. And,"continued Fuller, "he told me of something more. It seems while he waswaiting at the Lowe Street place for Karkowsky to make a move, hethought he'd like to know who had the Pole on the 'phone and put himinto such a state of mind.

  "So he called the operator. 'This is such and such a number,' he says.'What number was that who just called me?'

  "'It was so and so number,' says the girl, after a little.

  "'All right,' says he, 'give me that.'"

  "Well?" said Ashton-Kirk.

  "It was a tavern on Fordham Road about a block from Morse's," saidFuller. "The barkeeper answered. The only person he'd seen using thetelephone was a young fellow who talked a foreign language--a Pole wholived at Morse's--the place he said where the man was killed a fewnights ago. That was enough for Burgess; so he thanked the man and hungup."

  "Drevenoff has heard something," smiled Ashton-Kirk. "Altogether heseems a marvelously well-posted young man."

  There was some further talk between the two; then Fuller went out andAshton-Kirk continued to stand by the window, gazing down at thethronging, chaffering, noisy crowd. Large horses drew small loads, whilesmall men staggered under large ones; heady cries summoned those at adistance to the spots where bargains in faded vegetables or decayingfish were to be had; the stone steps of the houses were filled with menin hard hats and upturned coat collars; women with their heads wrappedin knitted shawls peered out between the folds in stolid wonder.

  At length he turned from the window, sat down in the wide-armed chairand lighted the German pipe; clouds began to gather above his head andto curl into the outer air; the rumble of wheels, the outcries of thedrivers and hucksters, the undertone of those cautiously sparring forthe advantage in a trade, stole into the room; however, he smoked on,oblivious. But, when his pondering seemed at its deepest and thecorrugations between his eyes the most prominent, he suddenly struck thetable a blow with his palm and leaped up.

  "That's it," he cried, "that's it! What an idiot I was not to think ofit before."

  Putting aside the pipe he took down a directory and began turning thepages rapidly. Now and then he made a rapid note upon a block of paper.Then he pushed the book away, descended the steps two at a time, and inthe lower hall put on his hat. Stumph, hurrying to be of some service,reached the hall just as the street door slammed; and through a windowhe saw Ashton-Kirk, with eager tread, hurrying up the street.